Knockdown toy house



ZIE/-m June 17, 1947. f M. F. BARNES 2,422,217

KNOCK-DOWN TOY HOUSE HTTAME 75.

MARY E BAFA/E5v June 17, M. F BARNES KNocx-DowN TOY HOUSE Filed Dec. '24, /1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R.s. we NN S w y .m5 M E m r A M M W jun@ ,17) 1947- M. F. BARNES I KNOC-K-DOWN TOY HOUSEv 5 Sheets-Sheet 'o'l Filed Dec. 24, 1942 R., MR e N A N IB m F ,H .Y M .M .Y B w43 jatented .une 17, 1947 KNOCKDOWN TOY HOUSE Mary F. Barnes, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application December 24, 1942, Serial No. 469,993

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a knockdo-wn toy house, and has for one of its objects a toy house construction that may be assembled and disassembled by a relatively young child Without injury to the elements that go into the assembly, and Whichfelernents are adapted to be assembled in diiierent arrangements for different types of buildings, or for buildings having different appearances.

-Another object of the invention is a knockdown toy house construction that is relatively rigid and sturdy when the house is set up, and which house is made up of elements that are economical to manufacture, simple, and that do not necessarily require the use of special implementsV for assembling and disassembling the same, although a relatively light wooden or plastic mallet may be employed by the child in connecting and disconnecting some of the elements without injury to the latter, thereby adding to the amusement of the child.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings.

Briefly described, the house of this invention is made up of various simple elements that may be assembled with little difculty by a normal child of say, about iive years of age. In providing a knockdown. house suitable for assembly and disassemblyl by a childV of such age, it is essential that the structural elements employed have some complexity in order to compel` the child to exercise its ingenuity in assembling the elements, and the elements should be so formed as to enable the child to rearrange the same for making modications in the structure. However, the use of nails or the like, that form their own holes is obviously undesirable since the elements would soon become destroyed after being used several times.

The construction I provide, of which the drawings herein are illustrative, is simple, rugged, and practically indestructible irrespective of how many times the building and variations thereof may be formed by the assembly and disassembly of the elements.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vperspective View of one form of building in assembled relation.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the roof structure on a portion of the building shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2A is an elevational View of one type of panel that may be used on the roof structure, if desired. u

Y Iig. 3 vis a vertical, sectional View through the building Qi Fia 1-.fp f f Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of the wall retaining frame elements used in the building, with the' elements separated to show their individual construction.

Fig. `5 is a fragmentary plan View of one corner of the building of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan View (partly in section) of aV single room building similar to one of the rooms of Fig. 1, with the roof and floor removed Ytobetter illustrate the construction.

Fig. 7--isafragment`ary sectional View taken along line .1v-'l of Fig..1 showing the porch construction. w .Y j

Fig-8 is a fragmentary sectional .vieW of, a roof structure diiferent from .that of Fig. 1.

Fig. -9 isa fragmentary. sectional viewtaken along line 9 9 of Fig. 8.` Y v Fig. 10 is an. elevational View of one of the elements usedin forming the roof of the building-shown in Fig-8... i v l a Theupper left -hand room shown in Fig. 1, will first be describedin detail, since this portion of the building generally comprises a basic unitary structure suitable for-*use ,by` itself in formingA a one room house,` the onlydiference between said.

room andthe one therebelowbeing `in external decoration of onen or more of the walls, and the provisionof a porch in the lower room. Similar elements inthebuilding lWill be similarly numbered inthe variousgures.

Iheroomprbuilding unit above noted is preferably square,Y having four side walls l, 2, 3, 4 (Fig. 6).V .Along the loweredges of each wall I,..3,.,andonltheinnergside thereof, is secured a strip 5 each ofv which terminates at its ends at points spacedimm the .vertical edges of each wall a ydistance,substantiallyV equal to the thickness.r of Walls .2er 4. WallsA l, `3 being in opposed relation forforming two opposite sides of the room, thestrips 5 are alsoin opposed relation,

' and at theV opposite endsA of each strip are pegs 5, such .as dowel pins. The pegs 6 on corresponding `endsof the opposedstrips 5 project.

toward each other and are adapted .to frictionally.l andremovablyt in openings `formed in the oppositeends .of strips 'lAthat are secured to walls 2,4 alongthe loweredges of the4 latter. K

The vstrips l aresuliciently shorter than strips 5, so that :the .verticaledges ,of Walls 2,..4- will substantiallyadjoin the edges of Wallsy I, 3 when the strips `5,1 are removably, secured togetherby The pegs 6 may,`of course, be carried at the endsof strips ly to fit inppeningsin the; sides Aof stripsv 5,-or thepegs may,. frictionally lit ingeeaxial openings in the adjacent ends of strips 5, 1, if desired, without the exercise of invention, but it is preferable that the pegs be secured to one or the other of the strips against accidental removal therefrom so as to reduce the likelihood of their being lost, and to facilitate the connecting of the strips by very young children.

Around the upper marginal portions of the side walls is a rectangular frame made up of frame members 8, 9, I0, II (Fig. 6). Each of these members is provided with an opening in one of its ends and a pin or peg projecting from its opposite end, each of the openings being adapted to receive one of the pegs sufficiently snug to hold adjacent members together against accidental separation, While permitting separation upon forcibly pulling them apart in direction axially of the pegs.

The frame members 8, II) (Fig. 6) are longer than the side walls against which they are adapted to be positioned, and the peg I2 on each of said members projects laterally from the end portion thereof that projectsoutwardly of the side wall, and the opening I3 in .each member is in the projecting end opposite the end carrying the Peg.

The other two side frame members 9, Il each have a peg I4 projecting axially thereof from one end and an axially disposed opening l5 formed in the opposite end. These members 9, II extend between the ends of members 8, I0 and pegs I2 frictionally t in openings I5, while pegs I4 frictionally nt in openings I3, thus forming the rectangular frame when the pegs are so fitted in the openings.

The length of each member 9, Il is such that the frame formed by tting pegs I2, I4 in openings I5, I3, respectively, will t against the outer marginal portions of walls I to 4 when th'e latter are detachably secured together by fitting the pegs 6 on strips 5 in the openings in the ends of strips l, as has been described.

The frame formed by members 8 to II is removably secured to the walls I to 4 in a position in which said members project slightly above the upper edges of said walls 'by means of pegs I6.

Each of the Walls I to 4 has an opening I1 (Fig. 6) formed therein adjacent its upper edge and midway between its vertical side edges, and each' of the members 8 to II has a cylindrical recess formed in its inner side midway Vbetween its ends that is adapted to register with one of the openings Il. Each peg I6 is adapted to be inserted through one of said openings I1 from inside the space enclosed by walls I to 4, and into the recess I8 in registration with such open' ing. These pegs frictionally engage the sides of the openings and the sides of the recesses, thereby securing each of the frame members against the side adjacent thereto and at the same time supporting the frame with its upper edge elevated above the upper edges of the side walls. Pegs I6 preferably are attened at their ends projecting into the space enclosed bythe walls I to 4as indicated in Fig. 6, so as to facilitate grasping said pegs by the fingers of the hand for twisting thesame in orderV to insure a light frictional nt of their opposite ends in the openings Il and recesses I8, andto facilitate pulling the pegs out of said openings and recesses.

"Ihe sides of frame members 8 to Ii th'at projectgabove the upper edges of the walls vI to 4 provide a step or ledge around the upper, inner side of the walls, the base oi which is said upper edges. Y This ledge is adapted to support the marrality of the individual units, and clearly shows 4 ginal portions of a flat, rectangular roof element I9 thereon (Fig. 3), and as the inner sides of the frame made up of members 8 to II co-planar with the outer sides of the walls l to 4, the said element I9 is supported on th'e upper edges of said side walls against shifting.`

The four corners of roof element I9 are each preferably formed with an opening positioned at the inside corner of each pair of the adjacent side walls. Each of said openings is adapted to pass therethrough in frictional engagement with its edges a peg 2li (Figs. 3, 5) that projects from one end of a generally rectangular block 2 I. Thus, the downwardly projecting ends of pegs 24 will function to hold the pairs of adjacent side walls in engagement with' the inside corners formed -by the pairs of adjacent frame members at their junctures.

Two of the adjacent vertical sides of each block 2I (Fig. 2) are each formed with a vertical groove 22, and the other two adjacent sides of said blocks are adapted to substantially t against the inside corners formed at the junctures of the adjacent pairs of Wall members. Thus, the grooves 22 will 4be pair of opposed grooves are along each side wall of the building unit.

In each pair of opposed grooves may be slipped a panel 23, and which panels may be of any desired width and contour along their upper edges. These panels form a decorative roof structure simulating a, railing around the edges of the roof, or they may have a contour resembling the false front found on pioneer buildings, such as stores, in this country, one such panel 24 being shown in Fig. 2A.

The roof member I9, together with the blocks 2| and` panels, may be handled as a unit for removal from the building walls, or the panels 23 and blocks 2I may be removed from the' roof and inverted for use as a fenced enclosure on the ground associated with the building. Its adaptability to various other arrangements according to the ingenuity of the ch'ild is obvious, since the four corner 2l, together with the grooved sides of the latter and the panels 23 or 24, or the like, will suggest many possibilities to the child. f

The walls I to 4 may, with openings Y25 of any if desired, or'they may be solid, andrwhether solid or `provided with openings, any desired surface decoration may be placed thereon without invention. Y

desired shape and size,

The foregoing is illustrative'of one completeA upperleft hand room on building unit, since the the building shown in Fig. 1 may be positioned, as a unit, on the ground to form a, complete building in itself. gle unit apart from the remainder of the structure shown in Fig. 1,'since such unit is obvious;

v The complete assembly shown in Figs. 1` and-2 are illustrative of a building formed from a pluthe coaction that exists between theV particular structural features of the single unit form of building to provide for the more complicated and'larger building'. The elements employed in the building of Fig. Vl, as described for the upper left hand unit that are'the.Y

same will be similarly numbered. e

In the completeassembl-yshown in Fig. l-three building units are employed, but all ofthe ele'-l ments described for one unit are not necessaryfto the larger building. The number ofunits that positioned so that a posts formed by blocks n of course, be providedl No need is seen for showing such sin;

the elements embodied in Y may be combined is-unlimited, since two, four, or a dozen or more may be used, with different shaped oor plans, and different numbers of stories high. f

In the two story building where only two building units are employed, it is seen that the lower edges of the sidewalls of the upper unit may be placed on the upper edges of the side walls of the lower unit, and the corresponding walls of the upper and lower units will be supported by the upwardly projecting upper sides of frame members 8 to I I in co-planar relation. Of course, the roof structure, made up of the member I9, blocks 2I` and panels 23, is removed from'the lower unit of the pair so that the upper unit may be supported on the upper edges of the lower unit.

Where only a two story building, having a, floor plan of only one unit is used, the frame members 8 to I I are identical on the upper and lower units. The lower unit, in this case, as seen in Fig. 1, may have a door opening 26 cut therein, if desired, and a porch may be provided.

Where such porch is used, it preferably comprises a pair of rectangular posts 21, 28 (Fig. 7) each provided with a laterally projecting peg 29 on one side adapted to frictionally engage in openings formed in the side wall 38 at opposite sides of the lower end of door opening 26. The opposed sides of posts 21, 28 are formed with recesses respectively adapted to frictionally receive one of pegs 3I therein, and which pegs 3|v project axially from opposite ends of a strip 32 that forms the floor of the porch or step below the door opening 26.

Where a third unit is added to a two story house of two units to increase the iioor plan of the building by one unit, as shown in Fig. 1, the shorter frame members 9, II of a pair of said units are placed in axial alignment along the forward and rear sides of the lower units, and two only of the members 8, I are at the ends of the lower story, thus an elongated, rectangular frame encloses both of the lower units and the adjacent walls of the units of the lower story will be together as seen in Fig. 3. This same arrangement would occur where a four unit house were formed with two units on each floor. The provision of a peg and an opening at opposite ends of the frame members 9, II makes this structure possible. In Fig. 4 the arrangement is clearly shown.

In the three unit building of Figs. 1 and 3 it is seen that the roof structure described for one unit may be provided on top of any exposed unit, such as the right hand unit of the rst story seen in Fig. 1, as well as Von the upper unit of the second story.

In each unit, a oor comprising a rectangular sheet 33 may be removably supported on the strips 5, 1, as seen in Fig. 3.

The manner in which the frame members 8 to I I are supported on walls I to 4 by means of pegs and peg-receiving openings in the frame members, and by pegs I6, provides for the modification of the roof of any unit of a building, as best seen in Figs. 8 to 10.

To make a gable roof, I provide a pair of triangular, relatively thin sheets 35 (Fig. 10), each having openings 36 at opposite ends of the base edge adjacent thereto and a single opening 31 intermediate the ends of said edge and adjacent thereto. These end openings 36 will register with the recesses I3, I at the ends of members 8, I0

while central opening 31 in each sheet will register with one of the central recesses I8 in said members. In assembling the frame, lower edge of each sheet 35 `is positioned at opposite side walls of the house so that the openings 36 and 31 willregister with recesses I3, I5 and I8. The pegs I2, Illr and I6 will pass through the openings in sheets 35` to hold the lsheets in upwardly projecting opposed relatiomand a pair of roof members 38, hinged together at 39 may then be laid ontheupper edges 0f said Asheets tovform the gable roof with overhanging eavesas seen in Fig. 8.

In the building construction above described,

it is important to note that the openings for the.

various pegs are pre-formed and that `the pegs are of wood, or of any suitable composition material that` will provide suiiicient frictional resistance when in the openings or recesses to prevent accidental withdrawal, but which may be withdrawn by relatively slight force.A Wood or composition material may be used throughout, and except for the pegs I6, it is preferable that the other pegs be secured to .the elements with which they Yare associated, such as strips 5, 1 or frame members 8 to II, or corner posts 2|, or to the porch posts 21, 28 and strip 32, as herein described.

The claims yare intended to cover such modications of the structure disclosed inthe drawings that come within the scope of the invention, and the said drawings are not intended to be restrictive of the invention but are merely illustrative of a preferred form thereof.

Having. described my invention, I claim:

1. A knockdown toy building comprising a pair of rectangular room unitseach comprising four, vertical lateral walls of sheet material; said pair of units being in side by side relation with one of the walls of each unit being in substantially opposed engaging relation; a centrally open frame having elongated side members extending in external wall engaging relation around both oi said units along the upper edges .of the walls thereof other than the said pair of opposed walls thereby securing said units togethensaid frame comprising a plurality of elongated frame members` each secured to the `wall adjacent thereto, means at the adjacentends of each adjacent pair of said members for detachably securing them together; and a frame within the area enclosed by the four walls ofeach unit adjacent the lower ends of such Walls securing the said lower ends of each unit in assembled relation; said last mentioned frame comprising an elongated strip extending horizontally along the lower end of the wall of each unit and carried by each of such walls; and means at the adjacent ends of the adjacent pairs of the said strips in each unit for detachably securing the said adjacent pairs together.

2. A knockdown toy building comprising a plurality of pairs of rectangular room units of substantially equal size and shape; each of said units comprising four, vertical, lateral walls of sheet material; one pair of said units being in superposed relation with their corresponding walls in co-planar relation and a second pair of said units being side by side with one of the corresponding sized wall of each in opposed, engaging relation; a plurality of rectangular, horizontally disposed frames; a rst of said frames enclosing the upper ends of vertical lateral walls of the upper unit of said one pair thereof securing the upper ends of the walls of said one pair against outward movement; a second of said frames enclosing the upper ends of the walls of both of the said second pair of said units; three sides of said second frame extending in overlapping relation to three of the sides of the upper unit of the superposed pair for holding said upper unit in said superposed relation to the unit therebelow; means detachably securing said first frame to the walls of the uppermost of saidl pair of superposed units; means detachably securing the said second frame to the outwardly exposed Walls of the said second pair of units; other rectangular frames, one each of which is enclosed by the four walls of each of the said plurality of units adjacent the lower end of each unit; means securing each of the said rectangular frames to the walls of each unit enclosing the same; said first frame, second frame and said other frames each comprising elongated strips; and means detachably connecting adjacent pairs of strips at each corner of each of said frames together.

I3. A knockdown toy building unit having sides comprising four, vertical, lateral walls of sheet material; a flat, horizontal, rectangular roof supported along each of its edges on the upper edges of said walls respectively; a peg carried by said roof adjacent each of the corners thereof projecting downwardly from theunder side of said roof and into engagement with the adjacent portions of each pair of adjacent Walls forming the sides of said unit for limiting inward movement of said Walls; an upstanding post on said roof adjacent its corners and panels extendingV along each of the Vedges of said roof supported at their lateral ends Iby said posts.

4. In a construction as defined. in claim 3, said roof being formed with an opening adjacent each corner thereof in which one of said pegs is frictionally tted; and each of said posts being secured to the upper end of each of said pegs.

5. In a construction as defined in claim 3, each of said posts being a block formed With a pair of vertical grooves opening outwardly at right angles to each other, and the adjacent ends of adjacent pairs of said panels being slidably supported in the said grooves in said posts.

6. A knockdown toy building comprising a pair of separable ground floor rooms each having lateralv side Walls and one of the side walls of each room being in opposed parallel surface-engaging relationship, a centrally open frame enclosed Within the side walls of each room adjacent the lovlerredges of said side Walls, each frame being formed of elongated horizontally extending frame members respectively secured to each sidewall and detachably secured togetherY at their ends, means on said frame members for detachably securing them together at their ends, and an outside frame enclosing said pair of rooms, means securing said latter frame to said side walls vof said pair of rooms adjacent the upper edgesof said side walis thereof exclusive of the `said opposed pair of said side walls.

- 7. `A knockdown toy building comprising afpair of separable ground floor rooms each having lateral side walls and one of the side WallsV of each room being in opposed parallel surface-engaging relationship, a centrally open frame enclosed Within the side walls of each room adjacentthe lower edges of said side walls, each Vframe being formed of elongated horizontally vextending frame members respectively secured'to each side Wall andV detachably secured together at their ends, means on said frame members for detachably securing them together at their ends, and an outside frame enclosing said pair of rooms, means securing said latter frame to said side walls of said pair of rooms adjacent the upper edges Vof said side walls thereofexclusive of the said opposed pair of said side walls, said outside frame comprising a plurality of pairs of elongated horizontally extending frame members arranged in end to end relationship for defining the outline of the Outwardly exposed lateral sides of said rooms, means for detachably securing adjacent ends of adjacent pairs of said frame members together.

8. A knockdown toy building comprising a pair K of separable ground floor rooms each having lateral side walls and one of the side Walls of each room being in opposed parallel surface-engaging relationship, a centrally open frame enclosed Within the side walls of each room adjacent the lower edges of said side Walls, each frame being formed of elongated horizontally extending frame members respectively secured to each side wall and detachably secured together at their ends, means on said frame members for detachably securing them together at their ends, and an outside frame enclosing said pair of rooms, means detachably securing said latter frame to-said side Walls of said pair of rooms adjacent the upper edges of said side walls thereof exclusive of the said opposed pair of said side walls. v

MARY F. BARNES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in theY file of this patent: Y

VUNITED STATES PATENTS 

